Petaluma Active Transportation Plan

Establish policy support for improving transportation infrastructure for people who walk, bike, and roll



Identify implementation strategies to improve the walking, biking, and rolling environment as quickly and effectively as possible



Identify community priorities to eliminate barriers to more walking, biking, and rolling



These are some of tools that can be used to improve comfort and safety for people walking in Petaluma.

Widening Sidewalks provides a more comfortable space for pedestrians, particularly in locations with many pedestrians and provides space to accommodate street furniture such as bus benches and shelters.

Pedestrian Countdown Signals display “countdown” of seconds remaining for the pedestrian to cross the street safely. Longer crossing times for pedestrians to finish crossing can further enhance safety, especially to accommodate vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly.

The Leading Pedestrian Interval is a signal timing strategy that allows people to start crossing the street while vehicles still have a red light to give them a head start, which gives people crossing the street increased visibility, especially to turning traffic.

Improve Sight Distance by banning parking at intersection approaches to provide increased visibility of motorists and pedestrians entering the intersection.

Raised Crosswalks are typically elevated 3-6 inches above the road or at sidewalk level. They improve safety by increasing crosswalk and pedestrian visibility and slowing down motorists.

Curb Extensions, also known as bulb-outs, are extensions of the sidewalk into the street to reduce pedestrian crossing distances and make pedestrians more visible to vehicles.

(photo by Erica Fischer)

Neighborhood Traffic Circles replace stop-controlled intersections with circular traffic movements that eliminate left turns, calming traffic, reducing conflict points with pedestrians, and helping traffic flow more efficiently.

Advanced Yield Markings before a crosswalk indicates where drivers should stop in advance of a crosswalk, which improves safety by increasing the buffer between vehicles and pedestrians in the crosswalk.

Directional Sidewalk Ramps, where there are separate curb ramp and landing for each direction of crosswalk, allows pedestrians with disabilities to be aligned with the crossing direction while waiting to cross the street.

Speed Bumps or Cushions can be placed across the road to slow vehicles down. The design can include two-wheel cutouts designed to allow emergency vehicles and buses to pass with minimal slowing.

Audible Push Buttons and other accessible pedestrian signal features improve access for pedestrians who are blind or have low vision.

Landscaping can provide buffer space between cars and pedestrians and can produce a traffic calming effect by encouraging motorists to drive at slower speeds, reducing the severity of crashes.

Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) are pedestrian-activated beacons at crosswalks used to warn oncoming motorists of pedestrians using the crosswalk when there are no signals or stop signs.

Pedestrian-Scale Lighting are specifically oriented toward pedestrians: often lower in height and spaced closer together than traditional roadway lighting.

Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHBs) are pedestrian-activated signal heads at unsignalized crosswalks across major roadways used to notify oncoming motorists to stop for pedestrians crossing in the crosswalk.

Median Refuge Islands are places in the center of the roadway for pedestrians to wait safely mid-crossing, shortening crossing distances across wider roadways.

Speed Feedback Signs utilize radar to measure and display the speed of passing vehicles, and improve safety by providing a cue for drivers to check their speed and slow down if necessary.

Completely separated right-of-way for exclusive use of bicycles and pedestrians

Example: Lynch Creek Trail through Lucchesi Park

On-street striped lane for one-way bike travel

Example: Sonoma Mountain Parkway

Improved version of the on-street bike lane, with a painted buffer separating it from vehicle traffic (shown on rendering)

Example: Petaluma Boulevard South after road diet

Shared on-street facility, typically denoted by a "sharrow" marking of a bicycle on the pavement

Example: 6th Street

Shared on-street facility with improvements to prioritize bicycle traffic

Example: 5th Street pilot project